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Green’s Dictionary of Slang

rack v.³

1. (also rack out) to admonish.

1945		C. Himes If He Hollers 140: I started looking for Madge. But not to apologize. I was going to rack her back.
1957		‘Weldon Hill’ Onionhead (1958) 108: ‘Show ’em you’re boss [...] You oughta go rack them out’.
1981		(con. 1966) P. Conroy Lords of Discipline 327: This isn’t a sweat party, Pearce [...] I didn’t come down here to rack ass.
1986		S. King It (1987) 303: His father really racked him about it and his mother just about cried every time Richie brought home those poor conduct grades.

2. to beat up.

1975		J. Roe Same Old Grind 75: ‘[D]on’t let me catch you [...] playing with your tits or doing a come. You do and I’ll rack your ass!’.
1977		(con. 1960s) D. Goines Black Gangster (1991) 230: I’ll make sure Prince racks his ass.

3. to kick in the testicles.

1986		S. King It (1987) 295: Someone’s always rackin Stan to the dogs an back.
2001		OnLine Dict. of Playground Sl. 🌐 rack 1 n, 2 v. ‘to rack’. A kick to the testicles. Racking is when a boy is kicked in the privates. Girls use it as a threat, but many girls have racked a boy at one time or another. e.g. ‘Leave me alone or I’ll rack you!!’.

4. to steal.

1990		Sydney Morn. Herald 10 May 6/4: I went racking with [name deleted] and we had about four big bags of clothes and then she wanted to rack some shampoo.
2014		A. Fox-Lerner ‘Traces of a Name’ in ThugLit Mar. [ebook] Caught me with some cartons of racked cigarettes.

SE in slang uses

In phrases

rack back (v.)

see rack up v.¹ (4)

rack off

see separate entries.

rack on (v.)

see rack up v.¹ (2)

rack one’s soul-case (v.)

see burst one’s soul-case under soul-case n.

rack (the bars) (v.) (also rack the doors)

(US prison) to open or close the cell doors.

1992

Bentley & Corbett Prison Sl. 7: Rackin’ the Bars also Rackin’ the Doors The opening or closing of the cell doors.

rack up (v.)

see separate entries.